Saturday, June 2, 2018

Den of Antiquity

November of 2016 saw the release of the steampunk anthology Den of Antiquity, a project it gives me great pride to be associated with. The brainchild of Bryce Raffle,
a Canadian author of thrilling tales, it was meant as the joyous
celebration of a group of good friends linked by our participation in
Scribblers’ Den, a writers’ group in The Steampunk Empire. This was the
Den’s second anthology, an event which was becoming a traditional
anniversary celebration for the group. Bryce announced an open call for
stories, I don’t remember, almost six months ahead of publication, a
time frame that even I could meet. The theme was to be a den. Fitting
somehow, eh? Well, according to my trusty Funk & Wagnalls, a den
can be a private room for relaxation or study, the cave or retreat of a
wild animal, or a term for a place, such as a den of thieves. As long
as the story worked a den into the narrative, it was a go. There were
twelve stories collected for inclusion, and there were happy discussions
of what next year’s theme would be. And then four months later, we
woke up, and The Steampunk Empire was gone. Not a word of warning, not a
hint of trouble, just a click on the shortcut to bring up the screen,
and what appeared was not that beautiful Victorian wallpaper, but the
dreaded “404” message: “There’s no such thing as what you’re looking
for.”
The Steampunk Empire had been a stable home for punks of every stripe
for at least a decade, for far longer than I was associated with it,
and one day, poof, gone. Twenty thousand members, including some big
names in the genre, lost everything, photos, blogs, stories, how-to
materials, contact information, everything. I myself lost all but about
a dozen of over a hundred contacts, and two sandboxes I had posted for
other writers to play in, Port Reprieve and Cape Grief. Cape Grief was
just launching, but writers in the world of Port Reprieve lost a score
or more of stories.
Okay, that’s my rant for this issue. It’s good to get it off my chest
yet again and make my position clear, especially to myself. With that
done, let’s take a look at this book I’ve been raving about.

The link above will take you to its Amazon page, and it’s a purchase
to consider for a multitude of reasons. First, it’s cheap, only $2.99
for the Kindle edition. Second, it’s a collection of shorts by some of
steampunk’s up-and-coming lights, bite-size reads ideal for a lunch
break or commute. Third, it’s also ideal if you aren’t a steampunk
aficionado, but would like to dip your toe in the proverbial water.
There are stories here of every ilk, and none of them too outlandish for
the new reader. And here’s the little cherry on top: None of the
writers are accepting a dime in royalties. Instead, every penny earned
is being donated to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. So for any of
those reasons, or one I didn’t think of, take the plunge. You, too, can
be a punk. A glance at the table of contents may whet your appetite:

Brass and Coal by Jack TylerAn Evening at the Marlon Club by Kate PhilbrickDragon’s Breath by E. C. JarvisThe Reluctant Vampire by Neale GreenThe Complications of Avery Vane by Bryce RaffleHark! Hark! by N.O.A. Rawle The Jackalope Bandit by David Lee SummersAfter the Catastrophe: The Lady of Castle Rock by Steve MooreWhen the Tomb Breaks by William J. JacksonAll that Glitters by Karen J. CarlisleYggdrasil’s Triumphant Return by Alice E. KeyesAfter the Crash by B.A. Sinclair

Links to all the authors websites can be found at the end of their
stories, so a few mouse clicks will open up a wealth of information on a
group of fine independent authors who offer tales from the cutting
edge, with no publishing house prodding them to recapture the Last Big
Thing. If you are a steampunk die-hard looking for some voices that you
might not yet be familiar with, or a curious newbie wanting to try out
the genre, thrilling adventures await at amazon.com.

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Blimprider

Jack Tyler, former steampunk author, at your service. I've done a lot of things in seven decades. The one this site is concerned with is my efforts to enjoy life. I thrive on simple pleasures and happy faces, and endeavor to surround myself with both. Walk the path with me a while. There's no telling what we might discover!